


Cin Vhetin

by Kis_feleseg



Category: The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, Its Fanfiction Guys, Mando Family, Mando'a, Mentions of Slavery, Post Season 1, Romance, Some Legends - Freeform, The Dadalorian, dad mando, mentions of abuse, some cannon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-27
Updated: 2020-05-21
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:14:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,384
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23881393
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kis_feleseg/pseuds/Kis_feleseg
Summary: Picking up a bounty on Jakku, The Mandalorian gets more than he’s looking for when a woman who’s associated with his bounty asks to come with him.Adi is truly alone in the galaxy, and when The Mandalorian takes the one thing holding her on Jakku away, she jumps at the chance to start again.Together they’ll cross-cross the galaxy looking for the home of The Child, and to figure out what they truly want out of this life.
Relationships: The Mandalorian (The Mandalorian TV)/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 24





	1. Second Chance

**Chapter 1**

**Second Chance**

* * *

She’d never seen anything like him.

The Mandalorian strolled through the doors of the cantina with the heated winds of Jakku at his back, looking every bit the fierce warrior his people were said to be. Even in the dim light his beskar gleamed as he moved; an armored predator on the hunt. She could barely take her eyes off him, wanting desperately to get off of Cal’s lap as the Mando prowled closer. She tried to shift without Cal noticing but he grabbed her arm to stop her, squeezing just a little _too_ hard.

A warning. The burns on her lower back from where he put his tabac out on her the last time she didn’t listen still stung. She planted herself firmly and he patted her arm as if to say, _“Good girl.”_

The Mandalorian stalked over to them, moving with confident grace. Cal was unfazed, still spread out in the corner booth, idly playing with the ends of her hair and dragging on rolled tabac. He was a slimy looking man, blonde hair just a bit too long and unwashed. The stubble on his face felt like sandpaper across her arm when he leaned forward to grab his drink. He looked like he hadn’t slept in about a week, and smelt like it had been double the time since he showered. 

“Cal Darg.” The voice that came from the helmet was commanding, sending a shiver up her spine. He placed a puck on the table and when it turned on, it displayed a rotating headshot of Cal. “There’s a bounty on you. I can take you in warm or-”

“That’s not gonna happen there, Mando-buddy.” Cal interrupted, sucking his teeth and spitting a piece of tabac that slipped through the filter. “See I’m pretty happy here, and with the Empire gone, I’d like to enjoy my new-found freedom. So,” he drew a blaster and sat up, reaching one arm around to hold her, the other pointing at the Mandalorian. “I ain’t going.” 

He was using her as a shield, she realized. She looked to the Mandalorian with pleading eyes, willing him to understand she didn’t want any trouble. The last thing she wanted was to be between a bounty hunter and his quarry. He was a statue, completely unreadable. Slowly, he grabbed the puck off the table, deactivating it and placing it in a pouch at his belt. 

“I see.” His tone gave nothing away. He turned as if to leave and Cal relaxed, pulling his arm away and sitting back. 

Quick as lightning the Mandalorian grabbed her arm, yanking her from Cal’s lap and shooting him in one fluid movement. He spun, putting her behind him and his blaster toward the cantina. Anyone who’s interest peaked at the commotion turned back to their drinks, the din returning slowly. 

She took a shaky breath, trying to calm the churning in her stomach from the sudden movement. “They’re not going to try and stop you.” 

Her voice made him stiffen and turn his head slightly, still not putting the blaster away.

“No one here liked Cal. He was trying to bully his way into some sort of crime boss position.” 

The Mandalorian turned fully now, pinning her with his gaze. Even without being able to see his eyes, she knew they bore into her. 

“Who was he to you?” There it was again, that direct no-bullshit voice. He brushed past her to pull Cal’s body out of the booth.

“Someone I wanted to get away from.” She said simply, not wanting to explain much, but it made Mando’s helmet snap to her all the same. He could see it now. The white tunic was dirty and threadbare, almost see through. Her airy gray pants had been patched several times. Her hair was limp, like it hadn’t had a proper wash in months, the short boots she wore looked second hand. When she twisted to look toward a noise, he could see the remnants of dried blood on the back of her shirt. All at once he was disgusted and enraged. 

“Relationship?” Mando clicked a pair of cuffs onto Cal’s wrists and slung his lifeless body onto his back before making his way through the crowd toward the door. The girl was right, no one really cared for this man, as they were more than willing to get out of his way. 

She gave an unladylike snort and followed him outside. “More like a pet.” She watched as he loaded Cal onto a floating dolly before continuing. “Cal had this master plan to make us all rich. Said that we could all send triple our pay back home with what he was trying to build.”

“Home?” Mando surprised himself by asking. 

“Battle of Jakku.” She supplied, pulling the gray and white scarf that was around her neck up over her hair to keep it from flying in the wind. “Ship went down, we got stranded. I had brothers and sisters back home to help support. Turns out he never actually gave me a cut. Me and some other females were turned into slaves. Whored out for whatever sick fantasy Cal could dream up.” Her eyes were somewhere far away. “If we tried to leave, he beat us. He always found us. Always.”

“What happened to the other girls?” Mando turned his head back to the cantina, wondering if their were anymore in her situation.

“They died.” She said flatly. “Some were killed, some just gave up the will to live. Either way, I’m it.” She shrugged. “He liked me best, so he kept me going. Barely.”

“Well now you can go home.” The Mandalorian started off with the dolly following obediently behind. She jogged to keep up with him.

“There’s no home to go to.” She saw the helmet tilt slightly showing he was listening, so she kept on. “Village was flattened toward the end of the war. Took all the family I had with it.” The idea that she was now truly alone in the galaxy hit her like a ton of bricks. She stopped momentarily as the weight of it settled on her. 

Mando paused when he realized she wasn’t next to him. He gave a sigh that crackled his modulator and looked at her. Out in the desert sun, she looked more broken-down than she had in the cantina. He could see the ugly yellow of a healing bruise under her right eye, and fresh bruises on her wrists. She looked more than a few pounds underweight. But through all that, she still had a bit of fire in her eyes. That fire, he realized, was how she had stayed alive so long. 

“When what’s left of Cal’s little band of misfits comes back and they see him gone, they’ll kill me.” The words dropped out of her mouth slowly, like they were made of syrup.

It was true. Though Cal had mostly failed as a crime boss, he had convinced a few lonely souls to join him. They were all out on jobs right now, petty shit that she hadn’t cared enough to ask about. She couldn’t stay on the planet. That left only one real solution in her mind. She nodded to herself before marching right up to him, turning her face up to his. 

Her eyes were green with just a bit of blue around the outside, and almost too big for her face. They gave away every thought as they flicked back and forth over his visor, searching for his eyes. 

“That settles it then, Mando. You have to take me with you.” There was more determination in her movements now as she marched on. 

A noise came from the helmet as he caught up, and she wasn’t sure if it was a grunt or a laugh. “No, I don’t.”

“Yes you do.” She said with more force, trying not to sound scared and slowed down a bit as he wove between buildings. “I can help out around the ship, do anything you need, really. I could join The Guild!” She sounded more excited now. “We could be partners!”

This time he did huff out a laugh. “You’ll definitely get killed doing that.” 

She brushed some of her hair out of her eyes indignantly and looked at the ship they had stopped at. “THIS is it?” 

He turned and even through the visor she could feel the glare. 

She backtracked. “She’s a classic.” 

He stared her down, indecisive. The bigger part of him wanted to leave her to her own devices, to let the consequences of being associated with Cal catch up to her. 

The sound of the rear gangway coming down drew her attention. The Mandalorian said something she couldn’t understand under his breath and stalked around the ship. It sounded like he was talking to someone. Not just talking to someone, reprimanding them quietly. She snuck around the back of the ship. 

It almost sounded like he was talking to….

“A baby!?” She couldn’t keep the question down, and it slipped out louder than she intended. 

The Mandalorian spun, putting the child down and pushing her against his ship with a gloved hand over her mouth. She could taste the worn leather, smell it in her nose as her eyes grew wide. He was flush against her, the hard lines of his beskar digging into her. He towered over her, the helmet drilling into her. She tried not to show her fear, glaring back over the hand on her mouth.

“Quiet.” The voice was sharp, but not dangerous. He lowered his hand a fraction, but didn’t move.

“You have a baby?” She hissed over it, seething. “And you left the poor thing alone!?” 

The Child cooed questioningly, drawing both their attention. He was a cute little thing, and he babbled on like they could completely understand what he was saying.

“ _Ad’ika_.” The Mandalorian sighed, letting her go and turning to the child. “You were to stay in the bunk. This is dangerous.” He picked the small creature up. “Dangerous. _Burk’yc_ , understand?” 

The child babbled again, stuffing a necklace he was wearing around his neck into his mouth. 

She straightened, adjusting her shirt that had rode up when she was shoved against the ship. “That proves you need me just as much as I need you.”

The Child reached for her happily and she held out a finger to let him take. “Hello, sweet one.” She could feel the protectiveness rolling off the Mandalorian, so she didn’t dare reach to hold the child. Instead she looked back up to the bounty hunter, softer now.

“You need someone to help you with this little one.” He laid his little green head on the Mandalorian’s chest as she spoke, peaking out shyly around his large ears. “I’m not asking for money, I just….” she sighed heavily. “You taking Cal means I’ve got a second chance. I’d like to take it. Take my life back, ya know?” 

He was an armored statue again, not giving anything away. 

“Just give me a chance. If you think I’m a threat you can freeze me and ditch my block out in wild space. That’d be better than what Cal’s goons would do, honestly.”

She reached up to stroke a green ear and the baby all but purred, throwing himself out of the Mandalorian’s arms to try and get to hers. They both moved at once, not wanting the baby to fall, and ended up coming together in the middle. His arm came around her back to keep her from falling backwards and she grabbed onto one of his pauldrons, bringing them closer together. Each one had a hand on the child, safely and happily caught between them. She hissed a bit at the contact on the open sores on her back, but didn’t pull away until she was sure she had hold of the Child. 

The Mandalorian watched them both, noticing how she softened when the Child babbled at her and grabbed a fistful of hair. She cooed something at him in return and detangled his clawed hand, letting him grab her finger instead. She rocked back and forth slowly as she looked back to him, waiting for an answer. The Child had seemed to be a good judge of character as of late, and hadn’t tried to use his magic to hurt her. Instead, he gravitated toward her, sensing that gentle presence only a nurturing female could give.

She was right. The Child needed more than what he could give, and it would free him up while he was on bounties. Criss-crossing the galaxy looking for the Child’s people didn’t pay the bills, but taking the occasional job did. Not worrying about the Child meant more time for higher paying jobs, which meant he wouldn’t have to take as many, which meant he would have more time to help get the Child home. 

“Do you have a name?”

“Adi.” She said quietly, turning those too-big eyes on him again, smiling softly. “Does that mean I can come?” 

He gave a sigh, directing the floating dolly up the ramp into the ship. “I hate to say you’re right, but you are. I need help with him. The first sign that you’re trouble and I’m taking you up on freezing you, understand?”

Adi’s heart jumped and she smiled earnestly now, creases forming around her eyes and mouth. “Thank you, Mando. Hear that, little one? Looks like we’re sticking together.”

  
  
  
  
  



	2. My Mistake

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> May the Fourth be with you!!! What a perfect day to add the second chapter! Lots of filler at the beginning as we work into plot, so please bear with me. 
> 
> Mando’a translations:
> 
> Ad’ika: little one
> 
> Mando’ade: Mandalorian

Mando had said they would reach Nevarro in roughly 72 standard hours. That meant Adi had that time to really prove to him that taking her along had been the right thing to do. She stood under the hot spray in the refresher, relieved to get the grime of Jakku off her. The bounty hunter had handed her an extra long sleeve shirt and pants made of breathable material that he usually wore under the armor. They would be enormous on her, but they were better than the nasty things she had been living in. Those had gone straight to the garbage chute, save for her scarf and boots. He had also told her to help herself to any of the soaps in the refresher, along with a comb. She ran it through her hair a few times, happy that she could feel some of her natural curl coming back. 

Turning the shower off, she stepped out and noticed a towel that hadn’t been there before. She wrapped herself in it and pushed down emotions that threatened to spill from her eyes. The Mandalorian had shown her more kindness in only a few hours than she had seen in years. But this was no time to wallow. If anything, it sparked her to be better. This was her second chance. 

She donned the oversized pants, pulling the drawstring tight around her hips. They were way too long, so she rolled the waistband as much as she could to try and compensate. Next came the shirt, which she swam in. It hung off one shoulder and she had to roll the sleeves as well. She gave her hair one last rub with the towel to dry it as best as she could before hanging it and padding to the ladder that lead to the cockpit barefoot. 

She couldn’t help but turn before going up to see the rows of bounties frozen in carbonite. She browsed them, looking for Cal. Mando hadn’t killed him when he shot, only knocked him out. Apparently whoever put the bounty out on him wanted him alive. He was the last in the row and Adi stared at his face, frozen into a slack-jawed expression.

“If finally caught up to you, Cal.” She said quietly. “And through everything you did to me, I won. Now you’ll go rot and I’ll live. For all the girls.” She had half a mind to spit at him, but resisted. Cal had tormented and abused her for years and just like that, it was over. Adi was almost disbelieving, but grateful all the same. She spun on her heels back to the ladder, hearing the little jabbers from Mando’s child above.

The doors slid open just as she hit the top rung to reveal Mando in the pilot's seat, the chair swiveled around to face the passengers behind him. The Child was buckled in, gurgling happily between a spoon of bone broth at Adi.

“Hey, little one.” She reached out to stroke his ear quickly before taking the seat opposite and curling her legs up around her. Mando reached behind him before holding a foiled package out to her.

“Ration bar. You look like you could use it.”

“Thank you.” She took the bar, peeling the wrapper back and taking a bite. “I can feed the little guy if you need to do anything.” She said after swallowing.

The helmet shook once. “Nothing to do now that we’re in the hyper lane.” 

“Okay.” She said at length before taking another bite. “Don’t forget, you brought me on to help. I have to earn my keep somehow.”

He spooned another mouthful of soup into the Child’s mouth. “How’s your back?”

“My what? Oh.” Adi shifted subconsciously. Obviously nothing got past the Mandalorian. “It feels much better now that it’s clean. I’ll heal up alright.” 

“After this one goes to sleep I can put some bacta on it.” The helmet didn’t turn towards her, but she could hear something in his voice. It was almost gentle.

She shoved the rest of the ration bar in her mouth and crinkled the wrapper between her fingers anxiously. “You don’t have to do that.” She said around the last little bit.

“It could be infected.” There was more force now, more worry. “It’s an easy fix if we get to it now.”

As if on cue the Child yawned, showing perfect rows of pointy little teeth. Both Adi and Mando reached for him, their hands brushing. 

Adi pulled back when the helmet snapped to look at her. “My mistake.” She said quietly, looking down. “I overstepped.”

Mando reguareded her for a minute before picking up the Child. “I’m...not used to having help.” He stood, passing the Child into Adi’s arms. “C’mon, I’ll show you where he sleeps.”

* * *

Mando sat back in the pilot's chair with a grunt. He could hear Adi below, pacing back and forth with his Ad’ika. She was singing something softly. It was a little off key, but sweet nonetheless. He still wasn’t sure what had possessed him to bring her on board. The excuse of taking care of the Child was weak, at best. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that she had hit a nerve with him. She was alone in the galaxy, the only creature that really knew of her was her abuser, and he was frozen in the hold. How easy would it have been for him to end up alone like that had the Mondo’ade not rescued him when they did? 

The singing stopped below and he heard the telltale swish of the Child’s floating bassinet closing. Her movements were muffled from being barefoot, but he could still hear the patter of her coming up from the hold. She looked drastically more refreshed when she flopped into a passenger’s seat. He studied her for a minute, the stars zooming by illuminating her face with a cool glow. She looked out into space, lost somewhere in thought while she chewed the corner of her bottom lip absently. Her face had more color to it now that she was clean and had some substance in her. Still damp, her hair spilled down her shoulders to mid-back in thick waves. It was caramel colored, a drastic difference from the oily tendrils he had first seen. She was thin in a malnourished kind of way, which worried him. That kind of build wouldn’t last long keeping up with him and the Child.

She held something out without looking at him. “I grabbed the bacta out of the med kit while I was down there.” 

He took it gently, gloved hands brushing hers like they had last time. This time she didn’t snap her hand away, but instead looked at him before pulling back gently. 

“You,” he sighed. “You didn’t overstep before. I’m protective with Ad’ika, the little one. I apologize.”

Adi gave a good natured shrug and turned her back to him, brushing her hair to one side. “Hey, it happens. I might have been a bit sensitive, too, ya know? Coming off what I am.” She pulled the back of her shirt up over her head, leaving the arms in and pushing the fabric to her chest to keep her modesty. She wore no breast-band. 

Mando was grateful for his helmet now more than ever. It hid the redness he was sure was spreading over his face in anger. Her back was littered with marks in varying healing stages. Some were so fresh they cracked when she moved, others faded into little scars. They were all different shapes and sizes. The round ones were obviously burns of some sort. Those were the freshest. Others were perfect lines, as if she’d been cut with something.

“It's gnarly, I know.” She said when he didn’t move.

He gave a few sprays to the newer ones, snapping out of whatever had left him frozen. “You survived.” 

She smiled over her shoulder fiercely. “I sure as hell did.” 

When he was done, she pulled the shirt back down and turned to look at him. “Thank you.” Her voice had that quiet gratitude again as she reached out to touch him. Something crossed her face, like she thought better of it, before she stopped. “For everything. You didn’t need to bring me on.”

“Apparently I have a habit of picking up strays.” His reply was deadpan, making her snort good naturedly before sitting back.

“So do you look like him,” she pointed down, meaning the Child. “Under that thing?” 

When he didn’t answer she wiggled her eyebrows comically, clearly trying to get a rise out of him. “Though I don’t know where you’d put the ears.”

“He’s a foundling. It’s a long story.” Mando said, not taking the bait. “Until I can find his people or he comes of age, he’s my responsibility.” He touched the signet on his shoulder. “We’re a clan of two.”

“You really do pick up strays.” She mumbled with a coy smile. “But it’s sweet.”

“This is the Way.” He said with reverence, dipping his head a bit. “You should rest, take the bunk. Ah-” he stood, looking as awkward as an armoured man could. 

Adi jumped up from her seat at his movement. A mix of surprise and fear crossed her face, though she fought it, refusing to cower in front of him. 

Gently, Mando unclipped the cloak on his back. Using slow, deliberate movements, he laid it across Adi’s shoulders, holding onto it until her hands came up to tug it together. It dwarfed her frame, coming down to brush the floor.

“It gets cold down there, and there’s no blanket in the bunk.” 

It was like working with one of Kuiil’s skittish Blurrgs. Everything in her stance and movements said she was scared out of her mind, but the defiant turn of her chin and the snap in her eyes said she’d be damned if she was going to give into it. She had a warrior spirit, something he could respect and understand.

But still, the life he and the Child lived was hard, harder than most. He honestly wasn’t sure if someone like her was ready to live that way.

“Adi…” Her name rolled off his lips and through the modulator in a way that made her eyes go wide. 

“I can’t promise you’ll be safe with me.” He looked out to the stars, visibly uncomfortable with whatever he felt the need to say. “Ad’ika, my foundling, there are people after him. Beings who’ll stop at nothing to get him. To hurt him. It’s my job to protect him. And I’d do that, gladly. But it’s not yours. You have no ties to us.” He turned back to her. “Others have gotten hurt, died, just for helping us. I have contacts on Navarro. They can help get you set up with a better life. Better than the one you had, better than the one you’d be living here.”

The wide look in Adi’s eyes narrowed to slits. “So you’re kicking me off.” Her reply was icy. “I haven’t even had a chance to prove anything and you’re kicking me off.”

“What?” The helmet reeled back a bit. “No.” His fist clenched and unclenched at his sides, the only sign that he was losing a hold on his temper. “I’ve seen enough people dragged into this mess.”

She grabbed the edges of his cloak so hard her knuckles turned white, the fire in her eyes radiating to her cheeks. “So you’re going to dump me off the first chance you get on another backwater planet just because you’re afraid that something might happen?” 

“My contacts on Navarro will help protect you.” He shot back, tone firm.

She snorted, rolling her eyes. “Oh yeah, I’ve heard that one before. I’m not leaving you, or the kid for that matter. Another set of eyes is more protection.”

“Not when you can’t protect him.” He could see how his words hit in the way she momentarily reeled back. But he wanted them to sting, wanted her to see. 

“So teach me!!” Her tone was reaching a fever pitch, and she was in full fight mode, willing to go toe to toe with the Mandalorian. “Teach me to shoot! Or fight, or fly the damn ship, or something! Make it so I can protect him!”

“I WON’T HAVE YOUR BLOOD ON MY HANDS!” He roared so loud his modulator cracked, looming over her until she shrank. “My ENTIRE covert was killed because they came out to defend the kid! I have no idea if any escaped. I’ve lost companions, friends…” He stalled when he saw the glassy film of tears in her eyes. He gave a frustrated growl, turning away to slink into the captain’s seat. He spun it to face the console, leaving Adi standing with her chest heaving with held-back tears. 

“This is the Way.” His voice was a whisper and he wasn’t sure if he repeated the mantra for her or for himself.

Behind him, he could hear her choke on a sob before taking a few breaths. Slowly she moved to his side, leaning a hip on the console. 

“If my Mama taught me anything in this life, it's that arguments at night are generally conversations in the morning.” Her voice was thick and slow. “I’m sorry for what happened to your covert.” 

He looked at her now. Her arms were folded across her chest, and she was still wearing his cloak. Her lips were pressed into a thin line, like she was thinking.

“I’ll tell you what, Mando.” She said finally, cocking her head challengingly at him. “We sleep on it tonight and tomorrow we sit down and discuss it like the adults we claim to be. I’ll tell you my story, you tell me yours. No secrets, no lies. We lay it all out.” She stretched out her arms for emphasis.

“Then we can decide what’s best for both of us. If that’s parting ways, cool. I don’t think it is,” she shrugged, “but whatever. If it’s me staying around, then you’re going to have to help me out a bit. Deal?”

He considered her for a moment, the visor giving nothing away. She had spunk, and guts.

“Deal.”

“Good.” She nodded once before flashing him that smile that crinkled her eyes. “Now I’m going to get some rest. Are you sure you don’t want the bunk?” 

“I don’t sleep much. But,” he relented when she gave him a look that resembled something a mother would give a petulant child. “I’ll try and rest up here, and I’ll switch out with you.”

“Alright.” Her tone had softened. “I’m really grateful for everything so far, Mando.” This time when she reached out for him she didn’t stop, instead laying a hand just above the gauntlet closest to her on the fabric. “I may not always be safe with you, but I know I’m safe from you, and that’s more than I can say for what my life was like before. Besides, what’s life without a little danger?” She gave a gentle squeeze before pushing off. 

“Goodnight, Mando. We’ll talk more in the morning.” She swished away, the cloak brushing the floor with a sound like wings.

He watched her go, following her movements to the door. “Goodnight, Adi.” And when she left, he sunk lower into the chair, content to wallow awhile in self pity for losing a grip on his normally in-check temper. 

  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up we’ll hear some of Adi’s background and see how Mando reacts to it.


	3. No Secrets

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m sorry this came out later than intended!! The keyboard on my tablet died and I had to wait for the replacement to come in. This was also an incredibly difficult chapter to write, as it was a bit more emotionally draining writing what brought Adi to Jakku.

Little scratches on the bunk door pulled Adi from sleep with a start. She fumbled around blindly in the dark, feeling for the control panel. Before she could press the button, the door slid open with a hiss, flooding the bunk with blinding light. Adi hissed and blinked a few times to clear her vision and sat up, Mando’s cloak pooling around her legs.

He had been right when he had mentioned how cold the hold would be and Adi had been grateful for the thick wool to snuggle up under. She moved it from her legs to wrap it around her shoulders as a pair of tiny green hands came over the bottom of the bunk. They tried to grip anything they could, and Adi breathed out a laugh at the little noises she could hear below. 

“You little sneak.” She accused, though her tone was affectionate as she pulled the little body up. “I guess that means it’s morning, huh cutie?” She rubbed one ear before scooting (rather awkwardly while trying to hold The Child) to the edge of the bunk. 

“I told you not to wake her.” The modified voice of The Mandalorian came from her right, making Adi visibly jump. 

“Kriff, Mando!” She gave a shaky laugh and watched him climb the rest of the way into the hold. “How does someone covered head to toe in beskar move so quietly?”

He came to stand in front of her, fixing her with a gaze she could feel through the visor. 

“Practice.” He turned gracefully to move to the back of the hold. Was that a hint of playfulness in his voice or had Adi just imagined it? The Child squeaked happily and wiggled himself out of her arms to follow his caretaker. 

Beyond them she could see a few crates set up, two smaller ones on each side of a larger one. On the larger one sat an electric kettle and a few servings of rations in warming pouches. Mando pulled a tin mug and a few more supplies from one of the crates, placing them next to the electric kettle and helping settle The Child onto a seat. He mumbled off and on at the little one, gently pulling his searching hands away from the warming rations. The whole scene looked so...domestic. It threw Adi for a loop as she watched from her place on the edge of the bunk. 

Mando held up the tin mug without looking at her. “There’s caff, if you drink it.”

“I’ll never say no to caff.” She shuffled her way to the makeshift table set up, opting to keep the cloak wrapped around her. 

Mando some hot water from the kettle into the mug before emptying a packet of instant caff into it and handing it over. “Never said it was good caff.”

Adi laughed a bit and perched on the crate with the little one, who was happily playing with a plate. 

“Some caff is better than no caff.” She added some powdered creamer and sweetener and took a sip. It wasn’t the worst she’d had. She turned green eyes on Mando, who was dishing out what looked like eggs with some sort of meat bits onto the little one’s plate. “How long was I out?”

“Twelve hours.” He offered a fork to The Child. “It’s hot, Ad’ika, be careful.”

She gave a low whistle, pulling the fork gently out of the Child’s hand when he looked like he was struggling. Picking up a few pieces of egg, she blew on it a few times before testing the temp on her lip. Having decided it was cool enough she offered it to the little one who took the bite happily, green ears perking up. If she had been out that long, she must look a mess. She ran a hand through her hair, throwing it over one shoulder to try and hide it as much as possible. 

“You should’ve woken me.” She chastised, offering another cooled bite to the Child. 

“No.” He had that finality in his voice, one that said only his opinion was correct. “You needed it.” 

Adi pursed her lips and took another sip of her caff. “I would've been fine on less.” 

“I thought arguments at night were conversations in the morning.” His voice was still flat calm, dishing out more eggs and half shoving the plate at her.

Adi sucked her teeth, still focusing on the little one. “We are having a conversation.”

He was goading her, and dammit if it wasn’t working. She snapped her eyes to him, staring into the visor. It was like trying to read the body language of a statue. She had half a mind to keep the fight up, just for kicks. Seeing how far she could push things was a flaw that had gotten Adi into trouble more than once. Thinking better of it, she took a breath, flaring her nostrils on the exhale and biting her lip.

“You’re right.” She said at length. “I’m sorry.” A little green hand pulled at hers, quietly asking for more eggs. She fed him three more forkfuls before Mando responded. 

“You wanted to trade stories, so let’s hear it.” He leaned forward to rest his forearms on the crate, obviously settling in for what he assumed would be a long story.

“You’re not going to eat?” She took a tentative bite of the eggs he had shoved at her earlier and was happy to find that they were actually good.

Mando taped his helmet gently and shook his head once. “The Creed.” He offered, “No living thing can see me without it. I already ate.” 

Adi hummed around another bite, trying to eat slowly. She couldn’t remember the last time she had an actual meal. Compared to the slop she and the other girls had been fed, the reheated rations tasted like she was eating at the best restaurant in the galaxy. 

“Well,” she started, choosing to talk to slow herself down. “Where do you want me to start?” 

The Mandalorian didn’t answer, staring her down uncomfortably.

“Right.” She cleared her throat and took another sip of caff. “Well, I told you a bit already. Grew up in a big family, crashed on Jakku, basically held hostage and sold out for the gain of nasty men.” She stabbed at her eggs absently. 

“My dad was a miner when I was really little. Then things got tough. My mom kept popping out kids.” She huffed a small laugh. “I swear she was just perpetually pregnant. They loved each other to the ends of the galaxy.” 

“How many of you were there?” Mando’s voice was soft, curious.

“Seven by the time the Empire came knocking.” She didn’t miss the way he stiffened, looking straight into his visor. “You asked, so I’m telling you. I said no secrets. I’m a lot of things, but a liar isn’t one of them.” She tapped a finger on the side of her mug before continuing.

“They were looking for recruits and made my father an offer he couldn’t refuse. He had too many mouths to feed on a miner’s salary and they promised he would be sending back almost triple.” 

“And did he?” Mando’s voice was tight and Adi hadn’t missed how one hand had slipped to his side, most likely where his blaster was sitting. She gave a half shrug, shoveling a fork full of eggs into her mouth. 

“At first, yeah. My mother banked most of it, using only what she needed. A few years later the credits stopped coming, then the letters. Us older kids started to think he ran off, but my mother wouldn’t hear it.” Adi looked down, chewing her lip again. “He was a good man. Too good for the Empire. He had a fantastic head for numbers. Calculations and things. Probably why they wanted him in the first place. A couple of officers came to the house a few months after the last letter. My mother thought they were coming to tell her how her husband had died in the line of duty.” Her hands started to shake so she folded them under Mando’s cloak to hide it.

“There she was, the perfect wife, offering them all tea and kriffing sweets. Even when stormtroopers came through the door, she kept up that front.”

“I’m going to assume your father didn’t die.”

“Oh no, he’s dead as it gets.” Her face was hard. “Turns out my father had crossed the Empire and was slipping info to the Rebels. I don’t know what possessed him. They rounded all us kids up with my mother, made us sit around a holo-projector.” She was staring down now, seeing everything again behind her eyes like a horror movie. “And there was my father. Beat, bloody, but not broken. They had him kneeling on this platform. Some higher up was going on and on about crossing the Empire and the whole time my father was straight as a board. Then Vader came out. It was a whole big to-do. They were trying to make a point. It didn’t matter that he was just another body, they were sending a message.” She paused to gather herself for what she knew came next.

“His last words were, ‘Hope is what will bring you all down, the people will never lose it.’ And then Vader chopped his head off with that laser sword. Boom. Done.” She shook her head a bit. “My mother never made a peep. I think she was just in shock. My younger siblings were screaming and crying into each other. Shan was a few years younger than me and the oldest boy. He wanted to fight anything close to him. He went after a storm trooper and all hell broke loose. Next thing I remember we’re all on the ground. They were going to kill all of us. The baby was only two. My mother was begging at that point, to spare her children. To just kill her. She had no idea what my father had gotten into.” 

Adi looked up now, using a corner of Mando’s cloak to wipe at her eyes so tears didn’t fall. “So I cut a deal. I stood up with hope, just like my father had said. I was young, barely out of my teens. Told them they could take me, use me for whatever they saw fit. Only catch was they had to leave my family alone.” 

“They took the deal.” Mando had relaxed a bit, pulling The Child into his lap when he reached for him. “So you worked for the Empire doing what exactly?”

“Whatever they needed. I was young and strong. At first it was a lot of manual labor. But one of the officers that had been there that day took pity on me. Brought me on to be an assistant next time I came across him. He took me everywhere with him, made me feel like I could be something in the Empire. I was so brainwashed I was willing to serve the same ones who killed my father. I’ll give you three guesses who that officer was.”

“Cal.” The pieces were starting to fall into place for Mando now, and Adi lifted her now cold caff to his answer.

“Bingo. I was with him at that last battle. And when we crashed a few of us survived. We managed to get away before any Rebels could take us for prisoners. That’s when Cal had the master plan and well, here we are.” She sucked her teeth. “So now you know. Do I get to finish my breakfast before you shoot me out into space?”

Mando’s helmet tipped down for a minute. “You did what you had to in order to protect your family.” The leg The Child was sitting on bounced a few times. “Family, found or otherwise, is important to the Mando’ade. It’s everything to us.” He looked back up when she spoke.

“That’s why your covert all came out to protect you and the little one.” 

“Yes.” 

She gave a couple of slow nods, looking off as she thought. “It’s your turn to tell your story, remember?”

Mando waited a beat before saying anything. “I was a foundling, like him. My village was attacked, my parents killed. The Mando’ade took me in. When I was old enough, I swore the Creed.” 

“Hm.” Adi looked to the foundling. “And him?” She could feel Mando hesitate. “No secrets, Mandalorian.” She reminded, gently.

“He was a bounty. He ended up in the hands of ex-Imps and I went back for him. I...couldn’t leave him. As you know, he’s now in my care.” The Child in question wiggled himself off Mando’s lap to make his way over to Adi. She pulled him up gently, bouncing the arm he was tucked into when his little head dropped to her shoulder. 

“So we’ve all had run-ins we’d not like to repeat.” She kept her voice level, patting the little back off and on.

“You could say that.” He regarded the way she leaned her head into the little green one, rocking softly. He understood more now how she survived whatever hell Cal had put her through. She had walked through fire for the last half of her life, and here she was opening up and baring her soul as easily as some would discuss the weather. She had an immense strength of character, a tenacity and lust for life that seemed to power her through the darkness she had experienced. 

“I owe you an apology.” He paused when her eyes snapped to his. “Again. I thought you weak.”

She gave a little smile, understanding. “That’s my secret weapon. People underestimate me. Don’t get excited, though. I still can’t shoot for shit and the last person I actually had to hit laughed at me and put me flat on my ass.”

Mando sighed out a laugh, relieved he hadn’t offended her. “We can work with that.” He saw her eyes open a fraction more. “If you’d like to stay, it would be a help to have you. I won’t let you stay with no pay, though. You’ll get a cut of the bounties. Ten percent for making sure the little womp rat stays out of trouble.” 

He was surprised when she shot up with The Child in her arms, spinning until he let out a squeal of laughter. She stopped, eyes alight and a smile that put an odd feeling in the pit of Mando’s stomach, the darkness from remembering her past replaced.

“Of course I’ll stay! Oh thank you, Mando!” She spun again, the ends of his cape fluttering out around her and pulling another laugh from The Child. “You won’t regret it, I swear.” 

He watched her dance happily with The Child on her hip to a nonsense song she was making up on the spot, her messy hair swinging behind her. The Child babbled along with her, ears up and laughing when she dipped him dramatically. No, he wouldn’t regret this. He smiled behind his helmet, enjoying the life Adi was already bringing to the dead ship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m trying SO hard to mix Cannon from the show, what I know of Mandalorian culture from legends, and some of my own style gracefully. It’s been more of a challenge than I thought it would be, as I’m a chicken for going wildly off-cannon. But we’re moving into uncharted territory for the show as this sets place after season 2, so I’m taking a few artistic liberties. But isn’t that what we all do? It is Fan fiction, after all.


End file.
